Is your team focused on the journey or the outcome?
Everyone wants results. We want good grades, but don’t want to study; we want a clean house but don’t want to put the work in. We want to lose weight but can’t bear the thought of dieting and exercising. Our culture is so focused on the outcome that it’s hard to stick with the process.
There is a way to enjoy the journey on the way to the destination. Here is what to avoid and what to do to make this process less stressful in your everyday workplace environment.
What to Avoid
Counterfactual Thinking. This mindset is thinking about “what ifs” or “what might have been”. Generally, negative situations and emotions impact our memory more heavily than positive situations do, so we replay these hurtful experiences over and over, thinking about what might have happened. It makes us blind to the good that’s happening in our lives right now and the steps towards our goal that we’ve already made.
Social Comparisons. We often tend to compare ourselves to people that we view as successful. The problem is that we only see their results, not their process to getting to that success level. We then compare their results to our outcomes and if it doesn’t measure up, it makes us feel bad about ourselves and causes us to miss our unique purpose and goals that we could otherwise achieve.
What to Do Instead
Dialectical Thinking. We all know that life is not strictly black and white, positive or negative. Embrace the mindset of looking at different perspectives and enjoy a complex journey and outcome. If you focus on the process rather than the results, you might see something you wouldn’t have normally seen and get an even better outcome. Learn what works and what doesn’t, and enjoy the experience of having failures and successes. This especially works great in a team environment where different cultures, thought processes and personalities often need to work together on important projects.
Process Oriented Goals. When you create your goals, focus on the process rather than the outcome. If you get into habits, like working out three times a week at the same time of day, you will more likely reach your goal goal rather than dreading the process and desperately wanting the outcome. It will help you become more patient and hopefully you will find joy in the nature of the repetition. With a constant habit, you will be able to observe yourself improving and be grateful for the opportunity.
Fun Team Building Understands the Importance of the Journey
Fun Team Building with Larry Lipman knows how critical the process is in achieving your goals. Call Larry today at 770-333-3303 to see how he can help your group grow!